Counting attachment for scales



Oct. 3, 1950 F. G. MENzE 2,524,202

couNTING ATTACHMENT Foa scALEs Filed Jan. 2s, 194s Patented Oct. 3,1,950

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

l A,22,524,202 COUNTING ATTACHMENT FOR SCALES Frank George Menze,Chicago, Ill.

Application January 23, 1948, Serial No. 4,025

2 claims. i 01. 265-30) The invention relates to new and useful im- Vprovenients in scales but more particularly to scale beams having anauxiliary of parallel beams arranged in co-operative position with thesliding poise, and more particularly to a device of this kind which maybe attached to a conventional scale beam in position to co-operatetherewith and has for its objects the provision of a device of thischaracter which is simple of construction, economical to manufacture,and highly eilicient in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of partshereinafter described and claimed. This invention will be bestunderstood by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part ofthis specification and in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a platform scale head equipped with anattachment embodying the invention in position for use;

Figure 2 is a plane view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the device apart from the conventionalscale beam; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an adjustable beam arm.

A practical embodiment of the invention in the drawings comprises thehead I5 of a platform scale mounted at the top of conventional steelyardhousing I6. A fulcrum bearing I'I is attached to the upper part of thesteelyard housing I6 and below the head I5 in position to operativelyreceive a knife-edge pivot I8 attached to a conventional scale beam I9intermediate its ends. A sliding poise is arranged on the beam I9 andcarries a clamping screw 2| which serves the purpose of holding the saidpoise 20 in a selected position on saichbeam I9.

A balance ball 22 is adjustably carried by a threaded shaft 23 at theinner end of the beam I9 which is of a conventional type and serves thepurpose of setting the beam I9 in balanced relation, as will be readilyunderstood. Arranged below the balance ball 22 and attached to the beamI9 is loadpivot 24 from which is suspended a bearing loop 25 which inturn supports la steelyard rod 26 by a hooked end 2l thereof.

The outer end of the beam I9 is projected through a slotted guard frame28 provided with a beam latch 32 for holding the said beam I9 ininoperative position, and a counter poise loop 29, hung from a tip pivot30, from which is suspended a scoop holder 3|.

The beam I9 is further provided at its inner end with an auxiliary unit33 having a centrally placed lug 34 with a flange 34a which is remov'-ably attached by cap screws 33a projecting forwardly from a cross bar35.

The cross bar 35 extends outwardly in one direction from said lug 34past the steelyard hous-y ing It and then forwardly in alignment withthe beam I9 and serves as a horizontal counterweight 35 in position; theother end of the crossbar 35 extends in the opposite direction past theother side of the steelyard housing I6 and then forwardly in alignmentwith the beam` I9 and serves as an auxiliary beam13l. The auxiliary beam31 is in two parts, one integral with the cross bar 35 and the otherpart serves as an adjustable extension beam 38. The extension beam 38 isattached to the auxiliary beam 3l by a lap joint 39, held by suitablecap screws 40-40 inserted in slots 4I4I and adjustably held to theauxiliary beam 3l thereby. The outer end of the extension beam 38 isprovided with a vertically aligned hole 42 having pin 43 insertedthrough the side wall 44 and 45. The pin 43 carries a U-shaped yoke 46attached to the upper end of a rod 4l to the bottom of which is attacheda basket or pan 48.

The auxiliary unit 33 can be attached to the beam of any conventionalplatform scale by suitable cap screws fitted into threaded holes in theregular beam I9 and brought into balance by use of the balance ball 22,as will be readily understood. An auxiliary beam 3l is provided with anadjustable extension beam 38 held by suitable cap screws 40 attached tothe auxiliary beam 3l. By the arrangement of these screws and with thebeam I9 in balance the whole assembly can again be brought into balanceby the adjustment of the auxiliary beam 31 to the extension beam 38 asbest shown in Fig. 3.

The extension beam 38 is provided with a pin 43 adapted to receive thehooked end of the rod 4l which in turn carries a basket 48. If it isdesired to use the scale as a counting mechanism the extension beam 38is set by placing one piece in the basket 48 and with ten pieces placedon the platform of the scale (not shown in the drawing) and brought intobalance, and if the beam I9 is graduated for a 100 to l ratio the tenpieces may be placed in the scoop holder 3l which will serve \as aweight which would balance l0() times 10 or 1,000 pieces on theplatform. Other similar arrangements can be made along the same linesand can be readily adapted to estimate the number of gross in a givenlot. Other adaptions of the use rof the scale as an estimating device byvarying the ratioof parts on the scale to those 3 serving as weights oiithe beam will readily suggest themselves when in use.

With the use of the auxiliary beam 31 with its attendant extension beam38 other multiples can be readily arranged.

While I have illustrated and described the details of a practicalembodiment of my invention, these may be modied, altered, re-arranged,and otherwise changed without departing from the described innovationsherein; I, therefore, do not wish to belimited to the precise detailsset forth, but seek to avail myself of such variations, modications andchanges as may fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A counting attachment for scales comprising in combination apivotally mounted graduated scale beam with an integral body ofsubstantially U-shape having a cross bar portion at right angles to thegraduated scale beam; a forwardly projectingl elongated counter weightat one end of said cross bar portion; a forwardly projecting auxiliarybeam at the opposite end of said cross bar portion; a forwardlyprojecting lug arranged intermediate said elongated counter weight andsaid auxiliary beam; a. shoulder on said lug abutted to the inner end ofsaid graduated scale beam; screw means for mechanically connecting saidflange to the inner end of said graduated beam.

2. In combination with a horizontal scale beam of a counting unitcomprising an outwardly extending cross bar at right angles to saidhorizontal scale beam; a forwardly extending auxiliary beam at the outerend of said cross bar in spaced and parallel relation with saidhorizontal scale beam; a forwardly extending lug at the inner portion ofsaid cross bar; a forwardly extending half joint flange in verticalalignment with one vertical side of said horizontal scale beam; screwmeans for mechanically securing said iiange and said lug in abuttedposition with the inner end of said scale beam: a forwardly andhorizontally extensible end beam connected by half joint laps secured bymechanical screw means to said auxiliary beam; a vertically placed eyein the outer end of said extensible end beam in which a hook engagingpin is centrally and horizontally secured; there being elongated holesadjacent the inner end of said extensible end beam'.

FRANK GEORGE MENZE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,407,435 McCulloch Sept. l0,1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 327,920 Great Britain Apr. 17,1930

